Wrench for radiator caps



Jan. 20, 1953 J. R. DAVIES ET AL WRENCH ROR RADIATOR CAPS Filed Jan. 2l, 1950 Gttomeg Patented Jan. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRENCH FOR RADIATOR CAPS .Eames R. Davies and Lloyd C. Starkweatller, Bakersfield, Calif.

i Claims.

This invention relates to a wrench for effecting the safe removal of the caps of radiators of automotive vehicles, particularly under conditions when high steam pressure has built up in motor-cooling systems due to overheating and.Av

for other causes.

An object of the present invention is to pro vide a wrench of the character hereinafter disother end with a jaw I4 that extends laterally through slot II of tube 8.

Bar 9 is designed to be engaged by the iingers while knob la is domed to fit the palm of the closed that may be employed to remove a radiator cap with safety even when there is pressure in the radiator, thereby saving time in that complete cooling of the radiator need not be waited for and yet practically eliminating the hazard of serious injury to the person removing the cap.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a 'working position and easily disconnected therefrom, eco-f nomical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of a wrench embodying features of the present invention, portions of the same being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a partly broken elevational view as seen from the right of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views as taken on lines 3-3 and 4--4 respectively.

The wrench that is illustrated comprises, generally, relatively movable and telescopically engaged cap-gripping units 5 and 6, and a shield or guard 1 adjustably carried by unit 5 so as to be interposed between the cap being removed by the wrench and the hand on the person of the user of said wrench.

As illustrated, unit 5 comprises an elongated tube 8 which, at one end, is provided with a transverse bar 9 and at the other end, with a jaw IU that extends laterally relative to tube 8. The portion of said tube 8 adjacent jaw Ill is provided with a longitudinal slot I I facing in the direction of the jaw.

Unit 6 comprises a tube I2 loosely and telescopically engaged in tube 8, said tube I2 being provided at one end with a knob I3 and at the hand, whereby jaws I0 and I4 are moved toward each other by a squeeze of the hand. An expansion spring I5 is provided between the ends of the tubes 8 and I2 adjacent their respective jaws IIJ and I4, said spring normally separating the jaws and contracting under the mentioned manipulation of bar 9 and knob I 3.

Jaws ID and I4 are alike but oppositely formed. Each jaw comprises relatively angled portions It and I1 that include a generally obtuse angle IB therebetween, these four jaw parts I6, I6 and I 1, I1 cooperating to engage four peripheral portions of a radiator cap when the jaws are moved toward each other.

To obviate slippage of the jaws in a plane transverse to the general plane of the cap, said vjaw portions I6 and I'I are each formed to have an angle cross-section that is best seen in Fig. 2. While the jaws grip four points of the cap, the angle form of portions I6 and I1 serve to center the cap in the jaws to obviate the mentioned slippage. To obviate circumferential slippage on round caps, the jaw portions I6 and I1 are roughened, serrated or knurled as at I9.

It will be realized, of course, that caps with diagonally opposed ears can easily be removed by placing the ears in the opposed angles I8 of the jaws. In this' manner, said jaws can accommodate practically all known types of cap and it will be obvious that the sizes and proportions of the jaws may be varied as desired to accommodate various shapes and forms of caps.

The shield 'I is advantageously made of molded rubber or a like form-retaining and heat-resisting material. Said shield is mounted on tube 8 so as to be adjustable therealong between bar 9 and jaw I4. As shown, the shield comprises a flat portion that extends from a collar 2| laterally in the direction of extent of jaws lil and I4. A clamp spring 22 is provided around collar 2| to press the same frictionally onto tube and yet allow suitable rotational adjustment of the shield as well as the mentioned axial or endwise adjustment. Assembly of the shield on tube 8 is facilitated by slitting the former at 23.

Since the shield effectively guards the hand grasping bar 9 and knob I3, the wrench can be safely applied and used asr hereinbefore mentioned.

While the invention that has been illustrated and described is now regarded as the preferred embodiment, the construction is, of course, subject to modications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A wrench of the character described, comprising an outer elongated tube having a laterally extending jaw on one end and a cross bar on the other, said tube having a slot open in the direction of the jaw, an inner elongated tube' tele scopically movable within the outer tube and having a jaw at one end extending' laterally through said slot and in opposed relation to the firstmentioned jaw and having a knob on the opposite end, an expansion spring between the jaw ends of the tubes to spread the same and the jaws apart, said cross bar and knob being manually movable toward each other to move the' jaws t'o gether against the force of the spring, and a shield interposed between the jaws and said cross bar and knob and carried by said 'outer tube.

2. A wrench 'of the character described, ecm.'- prising two telescopically intertted tubes, a shield carried by the cuter ci said tubes and having a major portion extending laterally of the axis of said tubes, each tube, on one side of said shield, being provided with a jaW and said jaws extend'- .ing laterally in the direction of said major 'pertion of the shield, resilient neans within the outer tube and engaged with the inner tube te ncrmall,T force said jaws apart, and handle means on said tubes en the Opposite sid-e cf the shield to move the jaws together against the force of said resilient means.

3. A wrench of the character described, comprising an elongated tube having an open slot adjacent one end, a jaw on said end of the tube and extending in a lateral direction relative to the tube axis, an elongated member telescopically fitted Within said tube, a jaw on the end of said member that is directed toward said end of the tube and arranged substantially parallel and opposite to the jaw on the end of the tube, handle means on the opposite ends of both the tube and elongated member to slide said tube and member, relatively, to thereby vary the spacing of said jaws, and a shield carried by said tube and interposed between said jaws and handle means.

4. A wrench according to claim 3: said shield having a major portion extending in the same lateral direction as the jaws.

J. R. DAVIES. LLOYD C. STARKWEATHER.

REFERENCES CITED The renewing references are ef "record in the file of this patent:

UNITED "sTAiI'ES PATENTS 

